title: Dizygotic monochorionic twin pregnancy conceived following intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment and complicated by twin-twin transfusion syndrome and blood chimerism.
abstract: We report a case of a dizygotic monochorionic twin pregnancy preceded by intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment including assisted hatching. On ultrasound examination at 25 weeks' gestation the twins, which had been assumed to be monochorionic, were found to be of different sexes. Karyotyping and zygocity determination were performed on amniotic fluid and showed the twins to be dizygotic with normal female and male karyotypes. There were clinical and sonographic signs of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), and Cesarean delivery was performed at 32 weeks' gestation. At birth the twins were phenotypically a normal male and a normal female. Histology of the placenta showed it to be monochorionic diamniotic. Blood chimerism was found postnatally as both infants had the karyotypes 46,XX[13]/46,XY[17]. Chimerism was not found in cells from a buccal swab at 6 months of age. This is one of only a few reported cases of dizygotic monochorionic twins. Nearly all of these cases have been conceived after assisted reproductive technology procedures. It is of clinical importance to be aware of this rare phenomenon in relation to TTTS, prenatal screening and parental counseling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Charlotte.Ekelund@rh.regionh.dk
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Ekelund
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Skibsted
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Søgaard
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Main
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Dziegiel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis; D046528:Chimerism / Q000196:embryology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005330:Fetofetal Transfusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010920:Placenta / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000098:blood supply; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal